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Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 124 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

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Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: temple · kid · current · arm · hand · stick · bulb · kick

  1. The light ________________ burned out.
  2. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  3. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  4. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  5. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  6. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  7. My father caught me by the ________________.
  8. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  9. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  10. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  11. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  12. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  13. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  14. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  15. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  16. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  17. When was this ________________ built?
  18. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  19. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  20. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  21. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  22. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  23. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  24. I've got to change the light ________________.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. bulb — for light
  2. current — electric
  3. arm — a part of something
  4. kick — in football
  5. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  6. kid — child
  7. arm — part of the body
  8. stick — a piece of wood
  9. bulb — of a plant
  10. hand — part of the body
  11. temple — side of the head
  12. hand — help
  13. kick — with a leg
  14. temple — a place of worship
  15. stick — a piece of wood
  16. kick — a thrill
  17. temple — a place of worship
  18. hand — in cards
  19. stick — to attach or keep to
  20. current — happening now
  21. current — of water
  22. kid — to tease
  23. arm — part of the body
  24. bulb — for light

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

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Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com